Wrench



July 18, 1944. 1 J. JIRE'S l 2,353,901

WRENCH Filed Sept. 28, 1943 M 2m, @dem Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Laddie Joe J ires, Baltimore, Md. Application september 2s, 1943, Serial' No. 5"'4,15'f

3 claims. (i.- rs1- 62) This invention relates to an open end wrench of the type including rigid opposed jaws to engagevvith work and with a firm grip thereon, and has for theprimary object the provision of a device of this character which will operate on a ratchet principle to permit the work, such as nuts or bolts located in close places to be easily turned in either direction with a very short throw or movement of the handle and with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the person employing' the device.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will .be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing one of the cover plates of the head of the Wrench removed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating the jaw member and the ratchet teeth thereon. I

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken on the line B--S of Figure 5.

Figure 'l is a view similar to Figure 6 showing one .of the dog spring operating shafts located for placing the spring under pressure or to cause said spring tc act with a pressure creating action.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a handle which may be of any desired length and has integral therewith a head 6 provided with a recess 'I coacting with cover plates 8 removably secured to opposite faces of the head in forming a cham-ber for the accommodation of dogs 9 and I0 and a jaw member I I.

The jaw member II is in the form of a semiannular body bifurcated to provide opposed work-engaging faces I2. The semi-annular body has formed on its outer periphery rows of ratchet teeth I3 and I4. The ratchet teeth I3 are re- Versely arranged to the ratchet teeth I4 and the free ends of the ratchet teeth I4 are arranged inwardly of the free ends of the ratchet teeth I3. Also it is to be noted that the row of ratchet ,v movement of the operating *gripuportion of which overlies one side of the teeth I4 is arranged between the rows of ratchet teeth I3.

The dog I0 operates in conjunction with the ratchetv teeth I3 While the dog 9 operates in conjunction with the ratchet teeth I4. The dogs 9 and I0 are each provided with a pair of .teeth engaging portions I5 spaced a maximum distance from each other to assure complete rotation of the jaw meinberl I by either of said dogs when the latter are operated. As for instance, when one of the teeth engaging portions I5 of the dog is opposite the bifurcation ofthejaw member, the other tooth engaging portion I5 is in position to engage a tooth of the jaw member to assure its continued rotation in a step by step manner by said dog even though thejawrmember or its' bifurcated portion is located withinv the chamberuof the head.

It will be' seen that the cover plates of the head are provided with semi-annular openings to ex- Dose the ends of thejaw member and that the rowsof ratchet teethl are conned within the chamber or recess of the head beyond the walls of the semi-annular openngsof the cover plates so as to rotatably retain the jaw member in the head of the device. I y

The dog I0 is formed integrally with the offset end I6 of an operating lever I1. The head 6 of the wrench is recessed, as shown at I8, to accommodate the offset end of the operating lever I'I v'rith a portion thereof located in thechamber of the head along with the Adog I0. One of cover plates 8 has a cutout portion I9 to permit pivotal leVer I1, the hand handle 5. K i y The offset end of the lever I'I is apertured to receive a pivot pin 20 which operates in slots 2l provided in the cover plates 8 'so that said dog I 0 and lever may have a limited sliding movement as well asa pivotal movement. The attachi'ng end of the dog 9 is bifurcated and apertured to' receive the pivot pin 20. The bifurcation of the dog 9 straddles the dog I0 where the latter forms on the offset end of the lever I'I.

Coil springs 22 are connected to the dogs 9 and I0 and extend into recesses 23 formed in the head 6 and are connected to cranks 24 of operating shafts 25.

The cover plates 8 are provided with openings 26 to receive the operating shafts 25 and each has one end bent to form a finger piece 21 lying exteriorly of the head of the Wrench or over one of the cover plates. The openings 26 which receive the'operating shafts 25 have walls thereof the ratchet teeth. To vary the action of the springs 22, the person using the wrench rotates the operating shafts 25 by It is to be understood that when the dog 9 is in engagement with its ratchet teeth( for rotating the jaw member in one direction bya swinging Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In an end wrench, a handle, a head on said handle, an end type jaw journaled in said head, groups of ratchet teeth on said member and one group of ratchet teeth being reversely arranged to the other group of ratchet teeth, a dog carried by the head to coact with one group of ratchet teeth, a second dog carried by the head to coact with the other group of ratchet, teeth, means mounting-fthe dogs for pivotal movement in the head, coil springs connected to the dogs, shafts journaled in said head and including nger pieces and cranks with the crank of one shaft connected "'toone spring and the crank of the other shaft ,connectedto the other spring whereby the rotation vof said shafts may either tension the springs or place said .springs under pressure to cause the movement of the handle 5 the ratchet dog l0" is disengaged from its ratchet teeth and vice versa when the jaw member is to be rotated in a reverse direction, that is, the dog l engages its ratchet teeth while the dog 9 is disengaged from its ratchet teeth. e

When the jaw member is being rotated by either of the dogs the pivot. pin ZU'engages one end of the slots 2|. Either` dog may be caused to .cperate the jaw member during. a swinging'frno've-- ment of the lever 5 or by swinging the hand lever I7 backward and'forward. The hand lever l1 is usedprincipally when it is desiredto turn a nut on a bolt-which is not fully threaded home on the bolt and does not'require a great deal of force to bring aboutthe turning` of ytheriut on the bolt. The nutcan b e'rotatedon theA bolt very rapidly through the `usefvoi fthe hand :lever I1. However, when the nut beginstoturn hard on the bolt the lever 5 is then'swung in thearc of a circle giving the. operator a great deal' more leverage on the nut. Y f

It is to be understood that either thel dogs 9 or l0 can be .operated byethehand lever llwhen desired. This also applies tothe handle 5,

From the foregoing description, taken in, connection with the accompanying gdrawin'g, it will be seen that a very efficient, durable and com-- pact end wrench has been providedwherein the jaw member thereof canbe rotated relative to the head of the wrench in either-.direction vby ar backward and forward swinging movement of the handle of the wrench or through the swinging movement of the hand lever. Further, it will be seen that an end wrenchof this kind including a ratchet mechanism of the characterdescribed and shown will permit work-such as, bolts and nuts to be conveniently turned within very limited spaces and with a minimum amount of effort on the part of thev operaton While I have shown anddescribedthe preferred embodiment of. my invention, it 4willbe under? stood that minor changes'in construction, 'combination and arrangement of partsmay be made without departing 'from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. f

dogs tobe correspondingly disengaged or engaged with the'ratchet teeth.

2. In an end wrench, la handle, a head on said handle an.-end type jaw member journaled in said head, groups of ratchet teeth on said member and ,one group of :ratchetv teeth being reversely arrangedto-the other group of ratchet teeth, a dog carried by the head to coact with one group of ratchet. teeth, a second dog carried by thehead to coact with the other group of ratchet' teeth, means mounting the dogs for pivotal movement in the head, coil springs connected to the dogs, shafts journaled in said head and including finger pieces and cranks with the crankpof yone shaft connected to one spring and the crank of theother shaft connected to the other spring whereby the rotation of said shafts may either tension the springs orplace said springs under pressure to cause the dogs to be correspondingly disengaged or engaged with the ratchet teeth, (said head having notches, and projections formed on the shaftsto enter. said notches to releas'ably secure the shafts against rotation Awhen the cranks of the shafts are positioned to place the springs under pressure.

3. In an end wrencha handle, a head on said handle, an end type jaw member journaled in said head, groups of ratchetteeth on said member and one group of ratchet teeth being reversely arranged to the other group cf ratchet teeth, a dogV carried by the head to coact with one group of ratchet teeth, a second dog carried by the head to coact with the othr" group of teeth, manually operated means carried bythe head and connected to the dogs to engage and disengage either of said dogs with 'the ratchet teeth, a hand lever extending into the head and having one ofthe dogs formed thereon and the other dog 'pivoted thereto, meansv for pivotally and slidably connecting the hand lever to the head whereby said dogs may be operated by the movement of the handle or by movement of the hand lever;`v

. LADDIE JOE JIRES. 

